what if casting
Over here, they're pondering the 'what if so and so wasn't available for casting at the time' game for Jack Harkness. Some er... *interesting* responses. And several stuck on american actors. My thoughts below.
First, the character wasn't originally written as American - he was supposed to be British (take your pick of which country) and it's only the fact that JB slipped into a US accent during one of the early read-throughs and they felt it fit the 'film glamour' image better that he's American (which of course influenced later things like costume and character reactions - though not necessarily Matt Rippy casting, since it's not absolutely essential that the closeted heroic self-sacrificer is American).
So, casting details as they originally were : Really good-looking classic 'film-star' looks with a slight 1940s bent, con-man, convincing in action scenes, and believable in the 'will shag anything and *can* get anything' category.
:scratches head on trying to get someone to fit entire package: - I remember them saying at the time that all of that pretty much narrowed it down to one person who was on the UK acting scene, ie, JB so... hoo boy. And even if you got all the briefing elements right, your Harkness would be quite different. Especially later eps, because after the first couple of eps/first season, they normally start writing to the cast actor's strengths.
James Purefoy could do it. (go watch Rome, then call me)
Daniel Craig - no problems.
Paul Bettany - nearly all of it. except I'm not sure how he'd handle the action man factor. never seen him with guns and running like mad. (the ruthless bastard part, no problem)
Dougray Scott - most of, not sure about seduce-anything
Jason Statham - *if* he could pull off the dashing RAF hero image.
Clive Owen - omnisexual... er.
Peter Wingfield - almost certainly, atch.
ETA: I started running the Captain Jack Harkness lines if spoken by James Puresex through my head on the way home. I... er... um. You know how we joke about Jack being a sexual harassment suit waiting to happen? Now imagine the 'And this is Ianto Jones, he cleans up after us and gets us everywhere on time. He also looks great in a suit.' sequence. Um. Oh dear god. Let's just say the jokey aspect of that bit? Really, really not so jokey.
And once again, ironicbees is trying to kill me dead from sheer pretty in the Jeeves and Wooster department. Though this time, not so much with the subtext. Allll about the text this time round. :happy sigh:
First, the character wasn't originally written as American - he was supposed to be British (take your pick of which country) and it's only the fact that JB slipped into a US accent during one of the early read-throughs and they felt it fit the 'film glamour' image better that he's American (which of course influenced later things like costume and character reactions - though not necessarily Matt Rippy casting, since it's not absolutely essential that the closeted heroic self-sacrificer is American).
So, casting details as they originally were : Really good-looking classic 'film-star' looks with a slight 1940s bent, con-man, convincing in action scenes, and believable in the 'will shag anything and *can* get anything' category.
:scratches head on trying to get someone to fit entire package: - I remember them saying at the time that all of that pretty much narrowed it down to one person who was on the UK acting scene, ie, JB so... hoo boy. And even if you got all the briefing elements right, your Harkness would be quite different. Especially later eps, because after the first couple of eps/first season, they normally start writing to the cast actor's strengths.
James Purefoy could do it. (go watch Rome, then call me)
Daniel Craig - no problems.
Paul Bettany - nearly all of it. except I'm not sure how he'd handle the action man factor. never seen him with guns and running like mad. (the ruthless bastard part, no problem)
Dougray Scott - most of, not sure about seduce-anything
Jason Statham - *if* he could pull off the dashing RAF hero image.
Clive Owen - omnisexual... er.
Peter Wingfield - almost certainly, atch.
ETA: I started running the Captain Jack Harkness lines if spoken by James Puresex through my head on the way home. I... er... um. You know how we joke about Jack being a sexual harassment suit waiting to happen? Now imagine the 'And this is Ianto Jones, he cleans up after us and gets us everywhere on time. He also looks great in a suit.' sequence. Um. Oh dear god. Let's just say the jokey aspect of that bit? Really, really not so jokey.
And once again, ironicbees is trying to kill me dead from sheer pretty in the Jeeves and Wooster department. Though this time, not so much with the subtext. Allll about the text this time round. :happy sigh: